PEARISBURG, VIRGINIAAppalachian Trail Restoration Project, 2015

BackgroundThe Appalachian Trail is overseen by the nonprofit Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and maintained by volunteer trail crews. These crews, including the Konnarock Trail Crew of which EfID participated in, administer the coordination of volunteers to accomplish varied maintenance tasks required to sustain the trail. The Konnarock Trail Crew operates a twelve-week season from May through August, and each week has two teams dispatched to specific projects. These projects may be geographically located from Springer Mountain, Georgia, in the south, to Rockfish Gap, Virginia, in the north. ​The NeedThe Appalachian Trail through Bluff City currently crests a ridge slightly southwest of Pearisburg and drops straight down the northern face of this ridge through private property, and then travels for nearly a mile along US Route 460 before crossing the New River. Once across the river, the Trail resumes a forested track. The Bluff City Relocation was intended to modify this course such that the trail descends across the face of the mountain, eliminate the incursion onto private property, and minimize the road hike necessary to enjoy this portion of the trail.

EfID ResponseIn late July and early August of 2015, three Mason students traveled to Pearisburg, Virginia to volunteer as members of the Konnarock Trail Crew for the relocation of the trail at Bluff City. There were several engineering reasons requiring the relocation of the trail. In places where the Appalachian Trail went straight up and down mountains, nearly a century of use by millions of hikers had created a funnel effect in regard to rainwater. The runoff, seeking the path of least resistance, funneled itself towards the footpath, causing the degradation of the Trail and presenting a flooding hazard for those at the bottom of the incline. The relocation across the face of the mountain allowed for an engineered approach to the situation – and in fact pseudo-walls were established along the crib walls to prevent rainwater from becoming a single current down the mountain. EfID members assisted in securing portions of the new trail by building stairways and sidewalks on the path.

Project ConclusionThe work expected of a volunteer is extremely strenuous. Carrying an 18-pound rock bar through the woods, over uneven terrain, at the end the workday is a regular occurrence. By the very nature of the job, the work is accomplished in what can best be described as primitive settings. However, despite the difficulties, EfID volunteers on the Konnarock Trail Crew spent a successful week on the Appalachian Trail.